Curtain roller



Nov. 25, 1930.

E. G SIMPSON CURTAIN ROLLER Filed Dec. 26, 1929 Z -ShQets -Sheat 1 [mo/: G/e/m J M77560 INVE TOR ggEg fig gggfig Eg -n h H H Nov. 4.25,: -1 930. E. G. SIMPSON CURTAIN ROLLER Filed Dec. 26. 1929 2 Shuts-Sheet 2 5.

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r I 120 roller assembly. 1

Patented Nev. 25, 1930 UNI ED ATES PATENT CE EMORY GLENN snvrrsoiv, or nnrrnorr, "MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR r 'rnmvsrnnw mm o FACTUBINGQOMPANYfOF nn'rnorr, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION or MICHIGAN "CURTAIN Roman a pli ation filed December 26, 1929. Serial No. 416,393; I

Thisinvention relates to a'curtain roller. It is the object of this invention to present a curtainroller that is silent in action, that is, both whilethe curtainfis being raised and when itis beingllowered" and that will hold tion desired t In the drawings:

the curtain in any raised or lowered posia section along the of 'Figs. 9 to 15 inclusive are perspective views of the "left hand side of Fig, lshowing the various parts therein-disclosed on a larger relation of mounting;

1 1 'Referring more particularly to the drawings it will be noted that the curtainroller lis mounted upon the brackets Elan d 3; The

curtain roller l may be made of a-tnbnlar aosheet ofmetal having a longitudinal lock seame. The ends of the tuberafter the.

internal mechanism which will be described below has-been inserted, are closed by means a of the slotted discs The roller 1 is proto the endsof the roller 1. The roller 1 is 40 rotatively mounted upon two shafts 8. and 9.

t shaft 9, which is non-rotatively fiXedin the i 1 socket 10 ofthebracketB,"projectsthrough an opening 11 in the disc5 to rotativelysupport the roller 1; "The roller 1 has fixed in the end thereof the cylindrical container 12 :central opening 14 forfreiceptionof t-h'e shaft 50 f9. cylinder13 permitseasy Flg. l is a longitudinal section of thecurA 1o tain roller assembly.

1 Fig.4 is a section along: the line H of of the curtain 1 Since preferably only one end ofv the roller lessthan the: out'epdlameter the is provided with a clutch 1 mechainism the 1 rotation of the ro1ler1about the sh ft 9 and serv'es'asla silencer. i i

bracket 2; This shaft 8 at the innermost packing cylinder 16 which, serves as a bearing when the rollerVis rotated about the shaft. The other end of the'shaft 8 has r0 tatively mounted thereonthe bearing mem ber 17. This bearing member 17;, as shown in Fig. 4;, has a recess 18'which fits about .The other roller supportingshaft s is non-rotatively fixed in the socket of'the the lock seam 4 thereby locking the roller 1 to the bearing 17: so that the bearing will The roller has the pressed-in lugs 19 which limit the inward movement and properly pomember 17 has a tubular projection "20' to which is fixedoneend of the roller-actuating 'coilspring 21-. The cQil 'spring 21 is car i tried by the shaft 8 andthe inner-end ofjthe scale and in spaced apart position "in the coil spring21 is fixed to the shaft Sasat The bracket 2 has the arcuate'rim 23 which to provide aflsuitable housing for the clutch mechanism whichis entirely concealed. The

arcuate rim 23 carries the lug 25 which'has a a 05 rotate about theshaftS withtheroller 1.

sition the bearing member 17. The bearing a cooperates with the recess 24; of the bracket 2 disc 5 has a centralaperture for reception of r the clutch drum 29 whichjhas the collar 30 spaced from one end of? the drum, This end of the drum'is projectedthrough the opening in the disc 5 andthen spun overas at 31 to securely fix the clutch drum29 to the disc5.-

The "clutch drum carriesthe coil spring 28 the inner-diameter of Twhich is normally a clutch'drum 29. Inpracticeithas beenf ound a ,s v V c H if Theclutchdruin is provided with a cirpwhich encloses :a felt cyllnder 13 hav ng a cumferential groove "in which is rotatively we a v t i. end is supported in spaced relation with the inside of the roller by means oftheielt the trigger 32 in position upon the clutch drum 29. The trigger 32 is substantially L-shaped in cross section. The one part 34 of the trigger 32 which extends parallel to the shaft 8 has an opening therein through which the end 35 of the coil spring is projected. The other end of the trigger extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of'the shaft 8 and is provided with a suitable opening 36 which is arranged to receive a cord 37, the cord being passed through the opening 38 in the bracket 2. The opening 36 in the release trigger 32 is normally spaced from and out of alignment with the opening 38 in the bracket 2.v

In operation when the shade is lowered the roller rotates in the direction of the arrow 39, that is. in a clockwise direction. Since normally the internal diameter of the clutch spring 28 is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the clutch drum 29 there will be but a very little frictional engagement between the drum and the clutch spring as the curtain roller is rotated to lower the curtain. Further, since the rotation of the drum in clockwise direction tends likewise to move the spring 35 in a clockwise direction there is a tendency to expand the coil spring 28. At the same time the end 27 of the clutch spring is held against clockwise rotation by spring to practically nothing, that is, the

frictional engagement between the clutch drumand the coilspring is just sufiicient to nicely and easily-permit the drawing down of the shade. As the shade is being drawn the curtain roller spring'21 is being wound up since one end of the coil spring 21 is fixed to the bearing 17 which. rotates with the roller 1 whereas the other end of the coil spring is fixed to the shaft 8 which does not rotate owing to its fixed engagement in the socket of the bracket'2.

hen it is desired to raise the shade, the operator pulls the cord 37. Since'the opening 36 in the release trigger is normally out of alignment with the opening 38 in the bracket 2, the cord moves the release trigger 32 from the position shown in the full lines (Fig. 2) to the position indicated in the dotted lines. As the trigger 32 is rotated clockwise about the drum it likewise moves the' spring end to the position indicated in the dotted lines (Fig. 2) and. since at the same time the end 27 of the clutch spring has remained stationary in the socket 26 the clutch spring 28 is expanded. This expansion of the clutch spring 28 reduces the frictional engagement of the clutch spring with thedrum 29 sufliciently to permit the torque of the curtain roller spring 21 to overcome the light frictional resistance of the clutch spring with the clutch drum 29 and thereby rotate the roller 1 in a counter clockwise direction to roll up the curtain. The instant that the pull on the cord 37 is released, the end 35 of the coil spring moves in a counter clockwise direction and the clutch spring 28 contracts and engages the clutch drum 29 with sufficient friction to overcome the torque of coil spring 21 and stop the curtain roller in whatever position it happens to be. The wrapping action of the spring helps to lock the roller in addition to the normal tendency of the spring against the clutch drum. This wrapping action is very important in that the greater the pressure the tighter the spring wraps itself about the drum.

It is evident from the above description that I have here produced a window curtain roller that has obviated the necessity of the noisy pawl and ratchet type of locking mechanism, that is noiseless in operation, and that can be raised or lowered to any desired position.

What I claim is:

1. A curtain roller comprising in combination a shaft, a roller rotatively mounted on the shaft, support means for holding the said shaft non-rotatively, a coil clutch spring arranged to directly clutch the roller, and release trigger means associated with the coil spring whereby the said spring may be placed in clutched or unclutched relation with the said roller when the trigger means are actuated.

2. A curtain roller comprising in combination a shaft, support means for non rotative ly supporting the said shaft, a roller rotatively mounted on the said shaft, a spring having one end fixed to the shaft and the other end to the roller to provide a. torque for rotating the roller, a clutch spring operatively associated with the roller to directly clutch the same and having one end secured to the shaft support means, and release trigger means operatively connected to the other end of the clutch spring whereby the trigger means may be pivoted to expand the said clutch spring from clutching relation with the said roller to permit the main spring to rotate the said roller.

3. A curtain roller comprising in combination a shaft, support means for nonrptative' ly supporting said shaft, a curtain roller mounted on the said shaft, a drum fixed to the said curtain roller, a coil spring mounted on the said drum in clutching relation therewith and having one end fixed to the shaft support means, a main spring having one end fixed to the roller and the other end fixed to the shaft to provide a turning torque for the roller, a trigger rotatively mounted on the said drum and having one end operatively connected with the'other end of the coil spring whereby the trigger may be pivoted to expand the coil spring to disengage it from clutching'relationwith the said drum to permit the main spring to rotate the said curtain roller. I a ,7

4. A curtain roller comprising in combination a shaft, support means fornon-rotatively supporting the said shaft,a tubular curtain roller having one end closed by a centrally apertured disc, spring torque producing means connected to the-said roller and the said shaft, a'clutch drum rotatively mounted on the said shaft and secured to the said disc in the said aperture a clutch spring having a plurality of convolutions mounted on the said drumin clutching rela-- tion therewith and with one end fixedto the said shaft support,=a trigger rotatively mountedonthe said drum and having one end operativelyconnectedto the other end of the clutch spring whereby the trigger may be pivoted about thesaid clutch drum to expand the said clutch spring to permit the said spring means to rotate the said roller.

5. A curtain roller comprising in combinationa bracket having'an aperture, a shaft non-rotatively mountedon thesaid bracket,

a roller having a drum portion rotatively mounted on the said shaft, springtorque producing means operatively connected to the roller and thesaid shaft, a coil spring mounted on the said drum in clutching relation therewith and having one end free and the other end secured to the said bracket, a

trigger rotativelymounted on the said drum and having one end connected to the free end of the spring and the other end out of alignment with the aperture in the saidbracket, l and a cord arranged to be secured to the end of the trigger and pass through theopening in the said bracket whereby said cord may be pulled to actuate the trigger and release the clutch spring from clutching engagement with the said clutch drum to permit" the said spring torque means to rotate the curtain roller. 7 a

6. A curtain roller comprising incombination of a fixed shaft, support means for supporting the said shaft, a roller having ahub portion rotatively mounted on the said shaft, a coil spring having aplurality of convolutions mounted about andin clutching relation with the hub portion and having one end fixed tovone of the above stationary members and 'the other end, free, and means operatively connected to the free end of the spring for expanding the spring out of clutching relation with thesaidhub portion of the roller to the roller about the shaft. I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EMORY GLENN SIMPSON.

permit rotation of 

